Live The Dream! Tips For Hosting Your Own Car Show

Image source: Geograph

In just a few months, spring will be here, and all this miserable weather will finally be out of our way! Warmer weather means a lot of things, but for us car nuts the one thing that’ going to be on our minds is car shows! If you’re finally ready to pursue your dream about hosting your own car show, here are my best tips for going about it.

Pick a Date, and Then Another, that Works

Generally, the best date to host a car show is a Sunday, as this is when the bulk of your audience is going to be off work. Having reserved one date, however, it’s important to pin down a back-up one afterwards. It’s impossible to predict the weather with 100% accuracy, and if it’s truly horrendous on your first choice you obviously won’t want to let people down. Ideally, you should try to reserve the following Sunday. Most importantly of all, make sure the date you choose doesn’t clash with another, more established car show in the local area. This is sure to put a massive dent in the turnout.

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

The secret to success in any kind of business venture, including a car show, is advertising. If this is the first time you’ve had to organize something of this scale, then make sure you advertise much more than you think you need to. If you’re in a heavily populated area, then there’s probably going to be a car show nearby every couple of weekend in the summer, and you’re going to have to compete with them if you want anyone to show up! First of all, look at the ad materials from your rival shows, and try to find some way to spin yours so that they stand out. Design a good flyer, and distribute it around local tuning places, auto shops, and even race tracks if it’s practical. You may even be able to set up some kind of referrals deal. For example, if some of your attendees are going to need a car transporter, you could reach out to the business and offer to advertise them in exchange for them advertising you. Whatever tactics you use for advertising, make sure you do a lot of it!

Maximise Free Publicity

Car shows always generate a tonne of free publicity. Seen as you’ve probably already invested a lot in making this event happen, I’m sure you’ll want to leverage this publicity as much as possible. As soon as you have a set date, get in contact with a local radio station and see if you can get a mention, or even organise a live broadcast from the show itself. It’s also a good idea to write up a press release, and pitch it to the editor of a local paper. Provided the area is sleepy enough, they’ll be more than willing to write an article about events in the local community. Leveraging these channels will not only get the word out, but will give a greater sense of your event’s ties to the community.